Volunteers help River Colne with litter pick

A group of 20 volunteers set about cleaning-up a stretch of the River Colne on 22nd July (Saturday) as part of Anglian Water’s RiverCare project.

The clean-up was carried out along the stretch of the Hythe, by the Wivenhoe and Colchester Canoe Clubs, and included local residents, Wivenhoe Corsairs Rowing Club, Tesco and students from University of Essex.

The group was formed to clean up and care for the stretch of river, parts of which have been blighted by litter.

RiverCare is an Anglian Water project run in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy to encourage local groups to tackle litter, carry out wildlife surveys and habitat improvements in a safe and rewarding way.

The latest event saw them recover about 40 bags of rubbish from in and around the water, with over half of the rubbish being plastic, in particular plastic bottles. At a previous event these litter fighting heroes have even hauled a motorbike from the river.

David Wallace, RiverCare Programme Officer said: “Plastic pollution can have a devastating impact on our local environment. That’s why we need volunteers like the Wivenhoe and Colchester Canoe Clubs and local residents to take ownership of their local stretch of river and protect the environment for generations to come.”

People of all ages can get involved in RiverCare and form groups with neighbours, sports clubs, work colleagues or a youth group.